There are 6 stored owner reports matching the air bags & restraints leading-label group for the 1997 Ford Windstar in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 6 of 6 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)I OWN A 1997 FORD WINDSTAR, OVER THE COURSE OF A MONTH MY HUSBAND AND A FEW FRIENDS USED MY VAN TO GO HUNTING. OVER THE COURSE OF THAT MONTH HIS FRIEND WEIGHING IN AT 300 POUND SAT IN THE CENTER REAR SEAT. THE SEAT BELT SNAPS INTO PLACE ON THE SIDE OF THAT SEAT. DURING THAT MONTH OF GETTING IN AND OUT AND PLOPPING DOWN ON IT, IT BROKE AND NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE IT IN ORDER TO USE IT AGAIN. BUT IM AFRAID THAT IF IT COULD BRAKE BECAUSE SOMEONE SAT ON IT THEN HOW EASILY COULD IT BREAK DURING AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO DO AN IN DEPTH INVESTIGATION OF IT BEFORE SOMEONE IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE SEAT BELT BREAKS AND SOMEONE IS HURT OR WORSE KILLED. *NM
ADOLESCENT WAS CAUGHT IN SEAT BELT. IT CONTINUED TO LOCK TIGHTER AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. PARENT HAD TO STOP CAR AND CUT CHILD FREE OF BELT TO AVOID INTERNAL INJURIES. CHILD WENT INTO SHOCK AND WAS DRIVEN TO NEAREST FOR EVALUATION. NO PERMENANT INJURIES WERE NOTED AT THIS TIME. DT
WHILE COMING TO A STOP VEHICLE BEHIND CONSUMER RAN INTO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *AK
VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER 3 TIMES AND KNOCKED THE VEHICLE INTO A CONCRETE DIVIDER. NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING, DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS WENT OFF, CAUSING VEHICLE TO RUN OFF THE ROAD. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
THE BACK SEAT SHOULDER BELT STRAPS WERE REROUTED AT DEALERSHIP DUE TO LOCKING MECHANISMS. THE BACK REST OF FRONT SEAT WAS ADJUSTED FORWARD, THE SEAT BELT HARNESS GOT CAUGHT AND WAS SO TIGHT THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO RELEASE IT. CONSUMER 'S SIX YEAR OLD GOT INTO THE SEAT AND RELEASED BACK FORWARD, SHE GOT CAUGHT AND TRAPPED IN THE SEAT. THE THIRD TIME WHEN CLEANING THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT BUCKET SEAT LEANED BACKWARD AND LOOKED UPWARD. AT THE SAME TIME, IF RELEASED THE BACK SO THE HEAD REST COULD COME FORWARD AND IT CREATED A (V). THE TOPS OF THE TWO HEADRESTS CAUGHT CONSUMER'S HAND,. A YOUNGER CHILD COULD HANG HIMSELF IF IN THAT POSITION. CONSUMER HAS YOUNG CHILDREN. THIS VEHICLE HAS HIGH BACK BUCKET SEATS. CONSUMER WILL ADD VIN.# THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST THREE WEEKS. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: May 4, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.